How To Play Benzema

[jimmycarterusm]

I'm in pre-season about to embark on my 5th season at Reading. I managed to get Karim Benzema on a free earlier in the transfer window and have been trying him out in friendlies in various set ups. In the previous season, I was playing 4 2 3 1 with Daniel Sturridge as a poacher and Abdoul Camara, Josip Ilicic, Simone Pepe behind him. I realise this won't work with a trequarista and have tried playing two strikers (poacher and trequarista) but Benzema's proved ineffectual while Sturridge, while still brilliant, has not had so many chances due to a lack of attacking midfielders.

How does one play with a trequarista striker? I don't really want to get rid of Sturridge as last season he carried the team (46 goals and 18 assists in 44(1) appearances) and, though I've improved the team significantly (I brought in: Vladimir Weiss, Ryad Boudebouz, Rui Fonte, and Fabian Delph to bolster my midfield as Camara has become less effective and Pepe is in decline), I fear this will happen again.

 

[Goofyco]

A Trequartista needs a lot of free space and creative freedom.

Since he will not do any forward runs without ball, he should be the playmaker who directly receives the ball from the central or defense midfielders through simple passes. You could also set the Trequartista as the Targetman in the team strategy and set him to "play ball to feet". If you play with Sturridge as a Poacher in front of the attack then the Trequartista can try to create chances for him using through balls or one-two passes or he can use his dribbling skills and create chances for himself...

I would use

----------P/A-----------
W/A --- T/A --- W/A
------CM/S---------
------------DM/D---
FB/S-CD/D -CD/D-WB/A

Example Dortmund:

-----------------Barrios------------
Kagawa-----Lewandowski--- Goetze
--------Bender--------------------
-----------------Kehl--------------
Schmelzer- Hummels- Subotic-Pisczek

OR

-------P/A---T/A------
-----------------------
W/A--------------WM/S
-----DM/D-DLP/S-------
FB/S---CD/D--CD/D-FB/S

Example Dortmund:

--------Barrios---Lewandowski------
------------------------------------
Grosskreuz-------------Blaszykowski
--------Bender---------Kehl---------
Schmelzer-Hummels--Subotic-Piszcek